Chapter Six

The first Christian deacons (1–6). The Holy Archdeacon Stephen (7–15)

Acts 6:1. In those days, as the disciples increased in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenists against the Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of necessities. Hebrews from the Gentile lands. “In those days” — an indefinite chronological reference, but one that allows us to conclude that the events described are not far removed in time from what precedes. “Among the Hellenists... against the Hebrews” — that is, between Christians from among the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The “Hellenists” were Jews who lived in various countries of the pagan (Greco-Roman) world and spoke the Greek language, which was then widely used. Many of them were proselytes, that is, pagans who had adopted the Jewish faith. Hellenists sometimes moved from pagan lands to settle in Palestine and Jerusalem, and in any case considered it their duty to travel to Jerusalem for festivals, remaining there for a more or less extended period, and sometimes staying longer on account of trade or other business. A great many of them had entered Christianity as well, fully prepared to receive it. The term “Hebrews” here refers to Christians from among the native permanent Jews — natives of Palestine who spoke the Hebrew language. “In the daily distribution of necessities” — εν τῆ διακονια τῆ καθημερινῆ, Slavonic: “in the daily ministry” — as is clear from what follows, this was a ministry “at tables,” that is, the supplying of those in need with food and other necessities at communal meals (Acts 2:46), held presumably in various parts of the city, at the gathering places of Christians. It was in this connection that the Hellenists came to feel their widows were being neglected. This neglect was not the fault of the Apostles themselves, but evidently of the subordinate officials directly responsible for the work. Chrysostom also considers that “this arose not from ill will, but probably from inattentiveness due to the large numbers... for in such a case difficulties are bound to arise.” It is possible that this revealed the spirit of a certain superiority toward the Hellenists — who were more closely in contact with the impure pagan world — that was characteristic of Palestinian Jews, a spirit which even the lofty spirit of Christianity could not smooth over in the first community at Jerusalem. Be that as it may, the neglect of the Hellenist widows was real and caused dissatisfaction, the danger of which — perhaps more serious than outward persecution — was so wisely eliminated by the Apostles at the root, from the very beginning.

Acts 6:2. Then the twelve Apostles, summoning the whole body of disciples, said: it is not fitting for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. “Calling together the whole body of disciples” — that is, the entire Christian community of Jerusalem as far as possible, and not just its representatives or elected members. The Apostles proposed to the whole community to remedy this disorder, rather than ending it by their authority alone (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact). “It is not right for us” — ουκ αρεστόν εστιν ημᾶς — “it is not pleasing to us,” it is not acceptable. “Neglecting the word of God” — that is, the preaching of the word of God, which is their chief duty.

Acts 6:3. Therefore, brothers, select from among yourselves seven men of proven character, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom; we will appoint them to this service, “Select” — the Apostles entrust the whole community of believers with the choosing of men from among themselves, so that they may be appointed to this service. “Seven men” — a sacred number. “Full of the Holy Spirit” — because special gifts of the Holy Spirit are required for this service as well, since the ministry to the poor is not exclusively a ministry to their bodily needs but also to their spiritual ones. “And wisdom” — in the ordinary sense of the word, so as to arrange all affairs intelligently, successfully, and carefully — a purely practical, everyday virtue.

Acts 6:4. but we will devote ourselves constantly to prayer and to the ministry of the word. “The ministry of the word” — that is, the preaching of the Gospel, as distinct from the care of tables.

Acts 6:5. And this proposal was pleasing to the whole assembly; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert from among the Gentiles; “Full of faith” — in the sense of a special gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of wonder-working faith (1 Cor 12:9), by which Stephen performed great wonders and signs (Acts 6:8). After “Stephen,” the best known of the rest is “Philip” (Acts 8). Nothing further is mentioned about the others in the apostolic writings. Church tradition, however, has preserved important information about them: “Prochorus” was first a companion of the Apostle Peter, then a companion and secretary of the Apostle John the Theologian, and later bishop of Nicomedia (in Bithynia), and died as a martyr in Antioch. “Nicanor” was killed by the Jews on the day of the slaying of Archdeacon Stephen. “Timon” was, according to tradition, bishop of Bostra (in Arabia) and also died as a martyr. “Parmenas” died before the eyes of the Apostles and was buried by them (Chet.-Min., July 28). “Nicholas,” a proselyte from Antioch, whose selection shows the wisdom of those who chose him, for he undoubtedly belonged to the Hellenists, whose widows were being neglected and whose dissatisfaction this had caused. It is not known whether he maintained the height of his calling; at any rate, his name is not inscribed among the saints.

Acts 6:6. they presented them before the Apostles, and these, having prayed, laid their hands on them. “They were presented before the Apostles” — for their actual installation in office. It was not the electing community itself that installed them, but it entrusted this to the Apostles, who alone had the right and authority to perform the actual installation of those chosen by the laying on of their hands. “Having prayed” — that the grace of God, which heals what is infirm and supplies what is lacking, might ordain the chosen ones for their particular service to the Church of God. “They laid hands on them.” The manner and, at the same time, the external symbolic sign of the outpouring upon the one being ordained of special gifts of the Holy Spirit. This laying on of hands (cf. Num 27:18) followed prayer as a distinct symbolic act rather than a mere accompaniment to prayer. It was precisely the act of consecrating those chosen — the outward side of the sacrament. “Notice,” says Chrysostom here, “how the writer says nothing superfluous; he does not explain how, but simply says that they were ordained with prayer, for this is how ordination is performed. A hand is laid on a person, but God performs everything, and His right hand touches the head of the one being ordained, if the ordination is performed as it should be.”

Acts 6:7. And the word of God kept growing, and the number of disciples was multiplying greatly in Jerusalem; and a great many of the priests were submitting to the faith. “And the word of God spread” — a remark that allows us to conclude that the Christian community had calmed and the apostolic preaching had intensified its success, thanks to the apostles concentrating their activity entirely on that preaching. The success was expressed especially in the fact that even many of the priests submitted to faith in Jesus the Messiah, overcome in their stubbornness by the irresistible persuasiveness of the apostolic preaching.

Acts 6:8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. “Full of faith and power” — faith as the cause or source of wonder-working power, and power as the special manifestation and operation of faith. Here for the first time we hear of great signs and wonders being performed not only by the Apostles but also by other believers — for the more successful spread of the Church of Christ.

Acts 6:9. Some of those belonging to the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen, and of Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up in dispute with Stephen; Acts 6:10. but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. “Some... rose up and disputed” — ανέστησαν δέ τινες... συζητοῦντες τψ Στεφάνω — more precisely in Slavonic: “But certain ones rose up... disputing with Stephen.” Those who disputed with Stephen were Hellenists, as Stephen himself appears to have been, judging by his name and his speech (ch. VII), in which Old Testament passages are cited from the LXX. Tradition says that he was even a kinsman of Saul, who, as is known, was by origin from Tarsus of Cilicia (Chet.-Min. Dec. 27). Those who disputed with Stephen were, furthermore, “from the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen, Cyrenaeans, and Alexandrians” and “from Cilicia and Asia.” There were at that time in Jerusalem, according to the calculations of the rabbis, about 500 synagogues, among which the five mentioned here are listed. The “Freedmen” were Jews who had been taken by the Romans (especially under Pompey, about 60 years before Christ) to Rome as prisoners of war, but were later freed and, as free persons, returned to their homeland (many of them, however, preferred to remain in Rome voluntarily). These freedmen (libertini), upon their return, formed their own synagogue of the “Freedmen.” “Cyrenaeans and Alexandrians” — Jews from Cyrene and Alexandria who had settled in Jerusalem or were staying there temporarily. In Cyrene (a city in Libya, to the west of Egypt), according to Josephus, one quarter of the inhabitants were Jews; in Alexandria (in Lower Egypt), two of the city’s five districts were densely populated by Jews (Antiq. XIV, 7, 2; XVI, 6, 1; XIV, 10, 1; XIX, 5, 2). In both cities they had lived for a long time, either settled there as prisoners of war or having moved there voluntarily. Alexandria was the center of Judeo-Greek learning, whose stamp was most likely also borne by the Synagogue of the Alexandrians in Jerusalem. “Cilicia and Asia” — two regions of Asia Minor in which many Jews also lived; settlers and temporary residents from these areas likewise had their own special synagogues in Jerusalem. All five of these synagogues rose up in hostility against Stephen through certain of their members and attempted to dispute with him — that is, to challenge his teaching and his influence over the people. “Could not withstand the wisdom.” Wisdom here is not in the sense of Jewish-Hellenistic learning, but in the sense of truly Christian wisdom, in the enlightenment of the truths of the Gospel teaching and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:8).

Acts 6:11. Then they secretly prompted some men to say: we heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God. Acts 6:12. And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and coming upon him suddenly they seized him and brought him to the Sanhedrin. It is noteworthy that in the case of Stephen, the enemies of Christianity succeed in stirring up the people, who until then had been on the side of the Christians and the Apostles (cf. Acts 5:13). This is achieved precisely by bringing against Stephen an accusation of blasphemy — the most serious offense under the Mosaic law. As in the judicial condemnation of the Lord Himself, the people recklessly believed this slander and were cleverly brought to indignation and agitation against the alleged blasphemer and those to whose circle he belonged. The premeditated nature of the accusation against Stephen and the incitement of the people against him is clear from the fact that the Sanhedrin was already fully prepared to judge Stephen when he was openly seized and brought before it. Thus the secret dream of the enemies of Christ was fulfilled — to arrange a pogrom against the Christian community by inflaming popular fury, if not personally against the Apostles, then first against one of the newly appointed deacons, and thereafter against the entire community with the Apostles at its head.

Acts 6:13. And they produced false witnesses who said: this man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. “They put forward false witnesses” — that is, those who attributed to Stephen things entirely different from what he actually said, distorting his words. “He perhaps spoke very openly and said the law was ending, or rather — did not say it outright but hinted at it, for if he had spoken plainly, those ‘certain ones’ would have had no need of false witnesses” (Theophylact). “Against this holy place” — that is, the Jerusalem Temple — “and against the law” — that is, the law of Moses, the main foundation of the entire Old Testament way of life. Just as at the condemnation of the Lord Jesus, false witnesses distorted one of His sayings about the destruction of the temple (Matt 26:61; cf. John 2:19) in order to present Him as a blasphemer, so now Stephen’s false witnesses probably distorted some saying of his in which he expressed the transforming effect of Christianity and its relationship to the Old Testament. This likely occurred during his disputes with the Hellenists, and it happened repeatedly (“does not cease”).

Acts 6:14. For we heard him saying that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us. “For we have heard him say” — ακηκόαμεν γάρ αυτοῦ λέγοντος — we heard him saying that... the words that follow are not Stephen’s own words, but words put in his mouth by the false witnesses and interpreted by them according to their own purposes. “Jesus of Nazareth” — in the Greek and Slavonic texts, a contemptuous word is added: “this” (οῦτος).

Acts 6:15. And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin, gazing at him, saw his face as the face of an Angel. “They saw his face like the face of an angel.” This was all the more remarkable because it was so contrary to what would be expected of an ordinary defendant, who was expected to display fear, despondency, or at least a hostile disposition such as belongs to someone wronged by slander. Stephen’s pure soul, filled with entirely different feelings, expressed itself in the courageous calm of his countenance and a triumphant animation that communicated — in contrast to the atmosphere of his accusers with their malice and fury — a truly angelic radiance and pleasantness to his youthful face. This should be all the more understandable because if Stephen was already filled with a special power of the Holy Spirit before (Acts 6:8), then in this decisive and solemn moment he was undoubtedly granted a special illumination from the Spirit of God, which transformed even his outward appearance into an angelic one.